Romp in the Playground
Climb, run, slide, spin and experience this exciting custom play area! Designed to inspire and encourage creativity, this playground has a little bit of something for everyone.
The children’s play area is open dawn to dusk.
Splash in the Blue Grotto
Inspired by the underwater caverns in Central Florida, this custom structure is fun for all ages. With waterfalls, ground jets, water cannons and hidden fossils, the blue grotto is the perfect spot for children and adults to play.
The children’s play area is open dawn to dusk. There is no charge to play at Depot Park. The splash pad will be running when it's above 70 degrees.
Stroll on the Promenade
Wrapping around the north side of the main pond is a 20’ wide waters-edge promenade. View the pond a little closer on one of the overlooks, relax on a bench to watch the birds, or enjoy events like food truck rallies and art festivals.
Picnic in the Pavilion
The main pavilion houses tables, chairs and grills for a day or afternoon of family fun and eating your favorite grilled foods. Perfect for birthday parties or family reunions. Click here to rent a pavilion or see when they are available for use.
Experience the Conservation Area
The southern half of Depot Park is a conservation area filled with various wildlife and a series of wetlands and upland plantings. Take a stroll through this natural area of the park but please stay on the path. And check our calendar for scheduled nature tours of this area.
Events on The Hill
Spread out a blanket, bring your lawn chair and remember your shade umbrellas. This is the perfect spot to watch live concerts and events.
Relax on the Open Lawns
In addition to great play structures, Depot Park has areas of open green space where you can throw a Frisbee, have a picnic, sunbathe or just kick off your shoes and enjoy a beautiful day in the park. Leashed dogs are welcomed at Depot Park.
Take a pit stop at The Depot Station
Feeling hungry? Make a stop at Parkside Subs & Shop for hot and cold sandwiches, an array of craft sodas, and all of your park needs. Right next door is Goldie's Burgers, where you will find 100% fresh from Florida beef burgers, Po' Boys, and plenty of vegan options. Ready to unwind? Head over to Boxcar Beer & Wine Garden for a wide variety of wines and craft beers.
Engage your imagination at the Cade Museum
The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention, located at 811 South Main Street, is a museum of ideas. The question is not what you will see but what will you imagine and create. The Cade Museum offers interactive activities in the Creativity and Fab Labs, hands-on learning in the rotunda, traveling exhibits, and much, much, more.
Cade programming and events are designed to engage guests in "purposeful creativity," the kind that leads to great inventions, new businesses, and ideas that change the world.
The Creativity Lab emphasizes Who, not just the What and Why behind technology and new ideas. And, by the way, we have a lot of fun too!
In the Fab Lab, you enter a world where state-of-art technologies work hand-in-hand with traditional tools and materials: computers, 3D printers and scanners, laser cutters, soldering stations, hand tools, and everyday objects.
Admission tickets can be purchased online or at the Museum's admission counter during our regular hours of operation. www.cademuseum.org
Remember the Fallen Cyclists
Take a walk through the Share the Road Memorial and learn how the bicycle safety movement began. Through tragedy, the Gainesville community united to lead a campaign to raise money to increase education about bicycle safety throughout the State of Florida.
Park Hours:
Children’s play area: dawn to dusk
Conservation area: dawn to dusk
Lighted areas: dawn to 11:30 p.m.
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
Tour the areas of the park to see the different play areas at Depot Park, the spaces to explore and get info about the nature trail:
There are lots of events happening at Depot Park. From concerts to food trucks, there's almost always something happening.
Depot Park is located in downtown Gainesville and amidst great food spots, local breweries, museums, galleries and shops!